Malaysia, Bangladesh reaffirm commitment on Rohingya, Myanmar and bilateral cooperation

New Straits Times

14 hours ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Bangladesh have reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate on issues concerning Rohingya refugees and the situation in Myanmar, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh Dr Muhammad Yunus, Anwar expressed concern over the heavy burden shouldered by Bangladesh in hosting a large number of Rohingya refugees.
"On regional issues, we are concerned about the burden placed on Bangladesh in having to cater for the enormous number of Rohingya refugees," he said.
"Therefore, to secure peace in Myanmar is of course a great priority and immediate humanitarian assistance for the sufferings, first the refugees, then the victims of earthquakes," he said.
He commended Bangladeshi authorities for taking the initiative in multilateral forums on the issue in New York, Qatar, and here in Malaysia.
Anwar said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan will coordinate a team with his counterparts from Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand to visit Myanmar in the next few weeks.
He said the goal is to ensure peace is attained and that the atrocities against ethnic minorities and the people of Myanmar can be amicably resolved.
The leaders also discussed various other issues, including foreign workers, energy cooperation, halal industries, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
"You, Muhammad Yunus, have made several proposals, and we have prioritised assisting stranded workers.
"We continue to collaborate on energy initiatives with Petronas and with Axiata in both the energy and telecommunications sectors. Now, we aim to strengthen cooperation in halal industries, STEM, research, and semiconductor development," he said.
The leaders also discussed other issues, including foreign workers, energy cooperation, halal industries, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), among others.
Anwar added that Bangladesh is an important partner and its workers are instrumental in contributing to Malaysia's development.
This has resulted in a multiple-entry visa facility to help workers visit their families and feel secure in their jobs.
He said Muhammad Yunus has made remarkable progress in ensuring peace and security in Bangladesh and is now continuing that collaboration to enhance relations in investment, trade, culture, and education with Malaysia.
"He is known to this country for his indefatigable work to secure position and place and for the underprivileged and the poor, including microcredit and also education in the Albukhary University in Kedah," Anwar said.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Yunus said he hoped Malaysia's doors remain wide open to Bangladeshis.
"We want to thank Malaysia for hosting us, so many of our people, and we hope this door will remain open and continue to become wider so that we can host many other young people to come and work in Malaysia.
"They learn, take this back home and start their own businesses and set up their own economic activity," he said.
He added that they are looking for Malaysia's support for its upcoming election and also seeking help on the Rohingya issue, particularly with Malaysia as the Asean chair.
"Bangladesh has a tremendous opportunity. It has its own human resources and technology that we can offer, so that you can invest in Bangladesh and sell your products to the rest of the world.
"So this is one we're hoping will lead to close relationships on financial and investment in Bangladesh, widening our opportunities so that we build a sustainable, high-growth economy," he said.
He described Malaysia as a second home and Anwar as a friend who helped Bangladesh when it was in turmoil.
"It's a wonderful feeling to find a friend to come up at the hour of need when we are desperately looking for some support somewhere because we had no idea which way we are moving.
"We are very happy to have that and extend our resolve in making sure that Bangladesh goes in the right direction," he said.
Muhammad Yunus is on a three-day working visit to Malaysia.
Anwar and Yunus also witnessed the exchange of several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering defence, energy, strategic and international studies, semiconductor capacity building and trade promotion.
Tomorrow, Yunus is scheduled to deliver a public lecture and receive an Honorary Doctor of Philosophy in Social Business from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
The Nobel Peace Prize laureate will also join a session with members of the Yunus Social Business Centre community and the university network, in a programme jointly organised by UKM.
In 2024, Malaysia–Bangladesh trade rose 5.1 per cent to RM13.35 billion (USD2.92 billion).
Bangladesh is Malaysia's second-largest trading partner and export destination in South Asia, with key exports including petroleum products, palm oil and chemicals, while imports comprise textiles, footwear, petroleum products and manufactured goods.
The visit is expected to further strengthen bilateral relations and expand cooperation in mutually beneficial areas, building on the strong ties established since diplomatic relations began in 1972.